What to expect at CES 2019

Take a look at some of the rumours circling around one of the year’s biggest tech shows, CES 2019 in Las Vegas.

CES (Consumer Electronics Show) takes place in Las Vegas each year, and it’s one of the world’s biggest tech shows. CES 2019 will run from Tuesday 8 January to Saturday 12 January, but most of the big announcements are usually made on press day, Monday 7 January. So, let’s take a look at what to expect from the Vegas show floor…

Is the foldable phone finally here?

Back in November 2018, Samsung gave us a sneak-peak at its first foldable phone. We’re not talking a hinged clamshell design here either, this is likely to be the biggest leap forward in smartphone technology since Apple launched the iPhone back in 2007.

With the next generation of smartphones, it’s the screen itself that’ll fold and LG is rumoured to be revealing its own foldable phone at CES 2019.

While there’s nothing concrete about the announcement yet, we do know that the technology exists, thanks to Samsung. So we can say with relative certainty that foldable phones will be available to buy in the not too distant future.

This new technology doesn’t stop at phones either. Imagine a 40-inch TV that you could roll up and pop in your bag or a laptop that’s all screen with a keyboard that pops up when you need it - just like your phone!

The one thing we know for sure is that flexible screens are going to revolutionise the tech world.

The rise of the smart assistant…

The last few years at CES have been dominated by smart tech, along with the smart assistants that help all of those clever gadgets work together.

This year, we’re expecting to see an emphasis on smart assistants and the AI that makes it all work. There will certainly be all of the usual smart gadgets, from smart plugs to smart washing machines. But it’s the software that is powering all that tech that we’re most interested in, and it’s likely that Google will be the company to satisfy our curiosity.

If their latest phones are anything to go by (hint, they are!), then we’re expecting Google to tell us how much better its Assistant has become since last year - and how many more devices it will be compatible within the coming months.

Wearable tech and the subtle shift from fitness to health…

Smartwatches and fitness bands have been around for a few years now and for the most part, they’ve been heavily geared towards fitness. But that’s starting to change.

Customers will always want to accurately track their running times, or measure their cycle distance, but the main focus is now on ‘Active Health Monitoring’. This gives the wearer more accurate health insights and can even recommend that you visit your GP if it detects something unusual.

The latest Apple Watch is already packed with amazing tech that can even tell if the wearer has had a fall and alert their emergency contact. There are rumours that Apple is also planning on adding a medical grade ECG monitor to its next smartwatch.

We expect to see a lot more from Fitbit too. It’s already added a ‘female health tracking’ feature to the Versa smartwatch, which helps track periods, symptoms and moods. So this is certainly an area we expect Fitbit to expand on.

Is there any new tech you’re excited about, or CES 2019 rumours you’ve heard? Let us know in the comments below.